My mother’s parents, Charlotte and Judd Van Sickle, were real bird watchers and kept a life list of all the birds they saw. Cousin John still has the list and maybe I can get him to guest blog it sometime.

I thought of my grandparents as I watched the finches gather in to dine. Only one brave finch stayed to eat as I crept around with my 70-200 lens and camera. They were attuned to an intruder but this one stayed to eat anyway.

So my lunch and bird lunch on the blog today

My first shot as I approached the backyard feeder. The question is, how do the other finches know to come to this particular place to find the thistle seed?

My friend Dorothy baked bread last week. She sliced some, added her homegrown lettuce and Early Girl tomatoes from her garden. On top a piece of Muenster cheese. Into the toaster oven to “top brown” the cheese. Each part of the sandwich enhanced the other. But the key was the warm, freshly baked bread. I had to photograph the loaves. Delicious.